Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify patterns of characteristics of the perceived neighborhood environment and relate them to the types of physical activity practiced by adolescents. METHODS: Observational epidemiological study with 1,066 adolescents (55.2% female, 10 to 13 years old) from João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. Environmental characteristics were measured using a 16-item scale in three domains (places for practice, urban and traffic safety) and types of physical activity practice (recreation, sports, physical exercise and active commuting - minutes/week) by questionnaire. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was applied to identify patterns of environmental characteristics and linear regression to relate them to the types of practice. RESULTS: LCA identified four patterns of environmental characteristics: "not diverse and unsafe" (26.6%), "not diverse and safe" (13.6%), "diverse and unsafe" (30.8%), and "diverse and safe" (29.6%). Perceiving the environment as "diverse and safe" was positively and significantly associated with the time spent practicing recreational activities (β=42.16; 95%CI 4.35-79.97). The patterns of environmental characteristics were not associated with the time spent practicing sports, physical exercise, and active transportation. CONCLUSION: adolescents who perceived the neighborhood environment as "diverse and safe" had a longer time practicing recreational activities.